And what a place to launch this year’s 3-5 minute short Gaelic films competitions for young people and for adults.

It was in Strontian – at Ardnamurchan High School in the Ardnamurchan peninsula, at the inward end of the long penetration of Loch Sunart from the Sound of Mull- literally a world of its own.

The launch saw BBC ALBA presenters, Fiona MacKenzie and Calum MacAulay, join pupils of Ardnamurchan and Mallaig High Schools in an afternoon of celebration. The Ardnamurchan pupils took the upper hand in FilmG 2009, winning the Best Film award in the Young People’s category.

The theme for the 2010 FilmG competition – the third since its inception – is The Upper Hand / Làmh an Uachdar. What you make of that will determine how you do in the contest...

There are literally hundreds and thousands of examples and they can be found all over the world but lets start at home, the UK.

This bilingual road sign left many cyclists confused, telling them that they have problems with an inflamed bladder. The most popular theory behind this mistake is that an on-line translation engine led to confusion between cyclists and cystitis. Thankfully Glamorgan Council were informed and replacements for the sign were made, however what this highlights is how a small mistake can easily be amplified with bad language translation.

Another classic error made with a bilingual English to Welsh road sign is pictured to the left. When officials asked for the Welsh translation of a road sign, they thought the e-mail reply was what was required.

Unfortunately, the e-mail response to Swansea council said in Welsh: “I am not in the office at the moment. Send any work to be translated”.

Tuesday, 27 April 2010

Chase Bank has promised the Irish community of New York that it will review requests by at least one of its Irish-speaking customers in Queens, that the bank extend the courtesy of multi-lingual ATM service to those in places like Woodside who speak Irish. The bank's ATMs currently offer residents the option of an interface in any number of neighborhood languages, including Spanish and Chinese….

… Bank of Ireland made the move a few years ago making all their ATMs Irish-optioned, and in so-doing are joining a whole new generation of brands that wish to recognize their Irish customers as other groups are so recognized with service and advertisement in their language…

The Cornish party Mebyon Kernow (MK), have launched their manifesto for the general election, calling for a devolved legislative assembly for Cornwall and for the replacement of council tax with a progressive income tax…

… The party's manifesto commits candidates to fighting for all the people of Cornwall, whatever their background. MK insists that Cornwall had its own distinct identity, language and heritage and had as much right to self-determination as Wales and Scotland. …

… Mebyon Kernow's name derives from the Cornish for “Sons of Cornwall”. The Cornish language, which is closely related to Welsh and Breton, almost died out during the twentieth century, but a recent revival has seen a growth in the number of people speaking Cornish as a second language.…

Thursday, 22 April 2010

The Council of Europe Committee of Ministers has just made public the third report on the situation of minority languages in the UK. This report has been drawn up by a committee of independent experts which monitors the application of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages.

On the basis of the report, the Committee of Ministers calls on the UK to continue taking resolute action for the protection and promotion of Scottish Gaelic in all areas, in particular in education, through the training of teachers and the production of teaching and learning materials.

Furthermore, the UK authorities are encouraged to adopt and implement a comprehensive Irish language policy, preferably through the adoption of legislation.

The UK should also ensure that health and social care facilities offer services in Welsh.

Finally, the Committee of Ministers recommends the UK to adopt a strategy to enhance and develop Ulster Scots, in co-operation with the speakers.

The regional or minority languages protected under the Charter in the UK are Welsh, Scottish Gaelic, Irish, Scots, Ulster Scots, Manx Gaelic and Cornish.

...Curam Software is now driving the social welfare and pension systems in countries as far apart as the US and Canada, the UK, Australia and New Zealand," said HE Kenneth Thompson, Irish Ambassador.

"The name of the company is a word taken from the Irish language, meaning 'care and protection' and Governments in all of these countries put immense faith in the ability of Curam to care for and protect sensitive data both in their interests and in the interests of the ultimate beneficiary, the citizen."

The Irish Ambassador also noted that the company was a growing employer in India and expressed the "hope that Indian clients would also soon realise the advantages of using Curam's software which was in large part developed in Bangalore."...

Sunday, 18 April 2010

For Gwenno and Ani Saunders, becoming The Pipettes is a long way from their childhood days in Cardiff spent singing, dancing and making cassettes.

Tomorrow’s release of their catchy new single Stop The Music, which shares the same producer as the Human League’s legendary Dare album, marks a radical departure for the former three-piece…

…Tri-lingual Gwenno and Ani – they speak Welsh, Cornish and English – have huge support from their parents, Cardiff mum Lyn and Cornish linguist dad Tim Saunders.

Ani said: “I think they like the fact we’re looking after each other. Our first language is Welsh, which we speak to mum and our second is Cornish, which we speak with our dad but we try not to speak either around anyone else so we don’t seem rude!”

Friday, 16 April 2010

Daithí MacLochlainn who does Irish language tours of downtown Manhattan told me he starts his tour on the docks by the Seaport Museum where they have one of the oldest examples on brick of grafitti ever written on a wall in New York, and it just so happens that the five lines of graffiti are written in Irish Gaelic. More on that later.

More to the point, MacLochlainn is the one who told me about the Welsh and how they use Israeli pedagogy to teach their rich Celtic language to foreigners and native Welsh alike in rapid time with great results--Welsh is a thriving widely-used language.

The Israelis developed a school called the Ulpan or אולפן. It's a "studio" setting for intensive language acquisition. The Welsh borrowed the school model and called it Wlpan, which is just a Welsh spelling on the Hebrew word…

Wednesday, 14 April 2010

With special reception to honor Breandán Ó Caollaí and Carmel Callan for their commitment to Irish language in New York

Join the Irish Arts Center for a day of festivities, classes for ALL skill levels from beginner to advanced, live music, film screening, poetry reading, panel discussion and a special wine and cheese reception to honor our special guests. Meet other Irish language enthusiasts, expand and supplement your Irish language skills, and support the growth of Irish language in New York, New Jersey and beyond!

Admission: $30 general sale/ $25 members / $15 students

For more information or to reserve, please contact Rachael at 212.757.3318 ext. 209 or rachael@irishartscenter.org. Reservations should be made in advance to secure your spot in a class.poetry reading, panel discussion and a special wine and cheese reception to honor our special guests. Meet other Irish language enthusiasts, expand and supplement your Irish language skills, and support the growth of Irish language in New York, New Jersey and beyond!

Admission: $30 general sale/ $25 members / $15 students; For more information or to reserve, please contact Rachael at 212.757.3318 ext. 209 or rachael@irishartscenter.org.

Welsh-language rock legend Meic Stevens played last night to a packed out audience in a Cardiff bar.

In the intimate setting of Gwdihw Cafe Bar off Churchill Way fans crammed into the tiny space and waited patiently for Stevens to play after supporting acts Gildas, The Violas and Richard James.

The singer-songwriter from Solva has been called the 'Wesh Dylan' and was one of the first artists to record with Cardiff music label Sain. One of his most famous songs Y Brawd Houdini is a catchy number and last night's set included some bluegrass and reggae flavoured tunes for a captivated and enthralled audience…

Call from Sinn Fein to erect street nameplates in a language other then English has been squashed once again!

Despite being 'in accordance with Council's policy', the recommendation to proceed with the Irish signs was overruled at a recent Council meeting by a request for representatives from the Equality Commission to address the Health and Environmental Committee.

The news resulted in a hot debate mainly between SF Cllr Daithi McKay who slammed the decision as 'double standards' and DUP Cllr Mervyn Storey who said the issue was being used as a 'political football'...